


Retreating Glaciers

by taichara



Category: Saint Seiya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:27:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5741986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hyouga's not sure what to expect, or what to think, when Isaak finally reaches out -- but on Isaak's terms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Retreating Glaciers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kalloway](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/gifts).



At this point in his life, it was fair to say that there were precious few things that could put the tang of fear in Cygnus Hyouga's throat. He'd fought gods, monsters and his own master; he'd seen his best friends put their lives on the line, again and again, and done the same himself. He'd ventured into _hell itself_ in the name of his beliefs and the goddess to whom he'd sworn loyalty. 

All of these things paled in comparison to the crackle of his nerves right now, this moment, as he paced steadily -- the smooth, measured movements meant to cover his nervousness -- towards the Siberian sea-cliffs and what awaited him.

_I feel like an idiot._

Distance meant nothing to a Saint; Hyouga reached the cliffside in moments, staring down at the foam and waves and shattered stones of the surf below. The water was dark, the colour of wine and teal frost, revealing nothing.

_So what if he said I had to come here, instead of him coming to Sanctuary? It doesn't mean anything!_

\-- Nothing except, maybe, a sign of trust. For which of them, Hyouga wasn't really sure: for himself, venturing into enemy territory ( _'Isaak's not my enemy, damn it'_ )? for Isaak, inviting Hyouga in? He'd asked the question of Camus before he left, and gotten nothing but a silent and oddly melancholy smile back in response ...

_Well, if that's how it has to be, so be it then._

He kicked off his heavy boots, tossed the too-confining parka aside, and dove.

-*-

'Hit the water and dive deep, then orient towards the current of cosmo and swim in that direction' -- he'd thought Isaak's instructions were needlessly obtuse at the time, but now ...

The ocean was not like the lake where his mother slept, not at all. Even the terrain of the seafloor -- when he noticed the changes -- seemed impossible to read, and if he hadn't had that thread of power to follow Hyouga knew he'd be lost for certain.

_How far did I get already? How does he even know where --_

_~ There you are. You're a little slow. ~_

Isaak's thoughts sliced into his mind, and Hyouga whirled, kicking up bubbles around himself -- and there the bastard was, hanging motionless in the waters as if he was perfectly at home ...

_Which he is. Come on, self, stop being such a jackass._

... and he was also armoured, Kraken's plates gleaming dully rust and orange-gold in the murk, and _that_ brought the Swan up short, good eye narrowing. 

_~ I might be slow following vague directions, but you look like you're spoiling for a fight, Isaak.~_

_~ I what? ... Oh, this. ~_

He gestured, taking in the panoply, and shrugged. And smiled; with just a _touch_ of resignation mixed in with the surprisingly humoured (because, if one asked Hyouga, "Isaak" and "humour" didn't meet all that often) look.

_~ Some of us need to be official in public, you know. And this most certainly is 'public'. Come on, let's get going before another dozen Tritons find me. ~_

_Ohhh-kay, then._

Hyouga sculled to Isaak's right, but with head cocked and expression querying. 

_~ Tritons? And what's that about 'official in public'? There's nothing and no one out here. ~_

_~That's what you think. I'll explain on the way. ~_

-*-

And what an explanation. By the time Isaak had led him deeper still into the Arctic -- past exotically-shaped masses of seafloor and drifting ice the likes of which no scientist had ever laid eyes on, elaborate scout stations of almost-but-not-quite Greek architecture, and stranger things -- Hyouga had gotten a mental earful, and a good deal to think about.

'Official', indeed.

The pair were mobbed by small groups in undifferentiated white and bronze-scaled uniforms more than once before reaching a sprawling, organic-looking complex that Isaak succinctly called 'home'. Each time, Isaak had excused himself to Hyouga before swimming a short distance away and apparently holding a few minutes' worth of meeting-time before the horde -- school? -- headed off in various directions and he returned with another wry shrug. No one gave Hyouga a second glance.

By the time they were inside, dried off (air-filled chambers, thank Athena), found a place to capsize (filled with stacks of thin sheets of ... something shiny ... scribbled and etched all over), and Isaak had dismissed Kraken and scared up something resembling food, Hyouga was feeling more than a little sheepish.

Almost as sheepish as Isaak looked, now that they were finally alone.

"So, see? I figured you'd wind up trying to find some ulterior motive in my calling you here, but I just can't up and leave. I wouldn't be surprised if everything fell apart as soon as I did."

Hyouga eyed one of the towering stacks and leaned forward in his woven-coral seat to poke it experimentally.

"Just how much paperwork do you have ...?"

One hand twitched, either to smack Hyouga or to scratch at his scarring, one or the other.

"Enough to choke a whale. I _do_ have an entire ocean's worth of rebuilding and organization to deal with, and we're missing _another_ ocean's General so that's even more work spread around. By the way, you can keep that ass, we don't want him."

Isaak so dripped with acidic disdain Hyouga thought he was going to choke on his tongue laughing at him. Hell, Isaak's hair nearly vibrated, he was so emphatic --

"Ahhehe -- don't worry, his better half has him on a leash ~"

"... I'm not going to even try to ask what you mean, I don't want to know. But, Hyouga --"

Still on his feet, Isaak crossed over to Hyouga's perch; and that one eye of his own looked suspiciously wet ... and not from seawater. Extending one hand tentatively, he watched Hyouga's every move.

"-- that's not important. You _did_ come up here, that's what's important. And I -- I could have explained better. The way I could've tried to reach out years ago. I'm just tired and frazzled and a contrary jackass who can't make things ever easy, even for me --"

'I'm sorry; can you forgive me?' -- The words weren't spoken, but Hyouga could feel them anyway. Isaak always was like that, even when they were both ornery kids chased around by Camus ...

He surged to his feet, grabbing Isaak's offered hand only long enough to yank him into a crushing hug that was instantly reciprocated. 

And the yawning abyss between them finally froze itself over.


End file.
